Remembering Love
by Halziexoxo
Summary: Broadway star Rachel Hudson is divorcing her quarterback husband, Finn. With the money, the penthouse suite, and their twin sons, the divorce is complicated so Rachel turns to the best divorce attorney in New York City- Noah Puckerman. What will happen if Noah becomes more than just Rachel's lawyer? Some Finchel with Puckleberry end game. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I haven't done anything in like for freakin ever. There will be Finchel, (at least not always happy Finchel) but Puckleberry is end game. Thanks! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

**XXXXXX**

Rachel Hudson rubbed her eyes and looked at the side of the bed that her husband should be on, but it was empty. He was in Seattle—far away from their penthouse suite in New York City. Her husband, Finn Hudson, was the quarterback for the New York Giants. He was always out of town for games, publicity events, and who knows what else. She always wonders if it crosses his mind that she also has a career. She was a Broadway star with performances and rehearsals scattered throughout the week. She can't always be home to watch their fiver year old fraternal twins, Nathan and Collin. Rachel and Finn could easily afford a nanny, but she feels that the twins need their mother around as much as possible since their father is never home. Rachel got out of bed and ran her hand through her thick, brown hair. She sighed as she walked into the living room. Nathan was eating a bowl of cereal and sitting on the couch while watching cartoons. Nathan was a spitting image of Rachel with a bold, independent, and high maintenance personality to match. Collin was sitting on the couch with Nathan and eating cereal out of a box. Collin was a spitting image of Finn. However, Collin's personality was luckily not predominantly Finn's personality— he also had some Rachel in him. He got his boyish charm, happy-go-lucky attitude (sometimes), and initial hesitancy from Finn. He got his eventually reached boldness, perseverance, and big heart from Rachel.

"Hey boys," Rachel said. "I see you helped yourselves to breakfast. Collin, what have I told you about eating cereal straight from the box?"

Collin gave her a lopsided grin and said sheepishly, "Not to do it. Sorry, Mom. My favorite bowl was dirty."

Nathan turned to his brother and scolded, "That's a stupid reason. Your hands are gross. I saw you picking your nose last night."

"Shut up," Collin shrieked. "You don't even like fruit loops!"

Rachel sighed. "No fighting, boys. We don't want to start off the day like that."

They both nodded and turned their attention back to the TV.

Rachel ruffled their hair and said, "Remember, we are visiting Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine this evening."

Kurt was Rachel's best friend since high school and Finn's step brother. At first, they clashed due to their equally strong personalities. Eventually, they realized how similar they were and became inseparable. Blaine was Kurt's husband and complete opposite except for the fact that they were both gay. They exemplified the theory that opposites attract. They were still so in love after being married for seven years. Rachel was thrilled that they are so happy, but she was a little jealous. She wished that she and Finn could be just as happy as Kurt and Blaine. She and Finn had even been married one year less than those two.

Rachel was brought out of her thoughts from Collin's whining.

"Mom," he whined. "I don't want Uncle Blaine to put goop in my hair. It's sticky."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "It's called gel, and he only does it because your hair is a mess."

"Nathan," Rachel scolded. "That is mean. Your brother's hair is wonderful."

Rachel ruffled Collin's hair. "It's okay, sweetie," she comforted. "I'll tell Uncle Blaine not to put hair gel in your hair."

Rachel went back to her room to get ready for their visit with Kurt and Blaine. She put on a white sundress with light blue stripes. She figured that this outfit could escape Kurt's criticism. She put her hair into a ponytail and applied some light makeup. She looked at her watch. They needed to leave in about forty minutes. She hoped the boys would be cooperative in getting ready today.

Rachel walked back into the living room and turned off the TV. She ignored the boys' protests.

"Okay, guys. It's time to get ready. Go brush your teeth and then we'll get dressed."

The boys, pushing each other, raced to their bathroom. Rachel decided to let this one go. She wandered into the boys' room to pick out their clothes. Her eyes widened as she looked at Collin's side. It was a disaster zone. Clothes and toys were scattered on the ground, and he had kicked the covers off his bed. Rachel quickly put his toys and clothes away and made his bed. She then picked out clothes for the boys. For Nathan, she picked out a dark green polo and his khaki cargo shorts. She picked out the same for Collin except his polo was blue. The boys came in their room and got dressed without a problem. However, there was a little issue when it was time to put on shoes. Collin randomly picked favorite things— favorite shoes, favorite sheets, favorite bowls. When he picked a favorite, nothing else would do. Today, Collin's blue sneakers were his favorites. They were nowhere to be found.

"Collin," Rachel said. "We really need to leave. How about you wear your black sneakers?"

Collin shook his head vigorously. "No, the blue ones."

Rachel sighed. "Honey, I don't know where they are. Just wear the black ones, and we will look for the blue ones when we get home."

Collin shook his head and repeated, "No, the blue ones."

Rachel looked at her son's tear streaked face. "Okay. I'll keep looking."

Rachel looked under the couch, in her room, and every closet in the house. Suddenly, Nathan emerged with the blue sneakers in his hands.

"Found them. They were in the bathtub," he chirped.

Rachel opened her mouth to question how the sneakers ended up in the bathtub, but she decided against it. All that mattered was that the favorite shoes had been found. She ushered the boys out the door so they could go see Kurt and Blaine.

XXXXX

The boys ran past Kurt the minute he opened the door. Kurt wrapped Rachel in a hug.

"Sorry we're late," Rachel apologized. "We couldn't find Collin's favorite shoes."

Kurt chuckled. "The brown sandals?"

Rachel shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Nope. The blue sneakers."

Kurt patted her on the back. "Well, you're here now. Come in! You have to see our new rug."

Rachel walked in and took in the familiar surroundings. Nathan was clinging to Blaine's leg, and Collin was taking off the blue sneakers that he had thrown such a fit for.

Blaine looked up from the little boy clinging to his leg. "Rachel, so glad you guys could make it."

Rachel laughed. "We are too. Pretty obviously," she said as she looked down at Nathan.

Rachel took a seat next to Kurt on the beautiful leather couch. Collin took a seat on the other side of Kurt and began to chatter about the day camp he and Nathan had attended last week.

"We painted, played with water balloons, and my team beat Nathan's team at all of the games."

Rachel let her mind wander. Her boys are extremely competitive because both Rachel and Finn are fiercely competitive. She thought back to the day the twins were born.

_After fifteen hours of grueling labor, Nathan was born at 7:23 pm._

_The first thing Finn said to Nathan as he cradled him in his arms was "You won! You came out first."_

_When Collin came out three minutes later, Finn said: "You lost, but it is okay. We love you just the same."_

_Rachel didn't think that those were the best first words to say to the babies, but she didn't dwell on it. She was in awe of the beautiful baby boy she had in her arms. She stared at Nathan's deep brown eyes. _

"_I love you so so much," she whispered._

_Finn was mesmerized as he held Collin. He played with Collin's little fingers._

"_He's so tiny," Finn said in awe. "So tiny."_

_Both parents were hesitant to hand their babies over to the nurse so she could take them to the nursery. The nurse assured them she would bring back the twins as soon as they were cleaned up and checked out by the doctor. As the nurse wheeled the boys out, Finn laid next to Rachel on the bed. He kissed her nose and they held each other in a comfortable silence._

Rachel sighed as she drifted out of her flashback. Sure, she still loved Finn. But the unspoken passion and adoration they had towards each other was no longer evident. She missed the days when she and Finn could hold each other for hours and feel the connection surging through their bodies.

"Hey guys, dinner is ready," Blaine called from the kitchen.

Rachel, Kurt, and Collin walked into the kitchen where Nathan was "helping" Blaine cook. Blaine took a dish out of the oven and set it on the table that was already overflowing with food. Rachel scanned the table. It was all of the boys' favorites—steak, mushroom and barley soup, pasta primavera, and garlic mashed potatoes. Of course, they had some vegan options for Rachel.

"Everything looks great, Blaine" Rachel complimented as she made plates for the boys and herself.

"Thanks. Nathan was a great assistant chef."

Nathan, who had already started shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth, swallowed quickly and gave a big smile.

XXXXX

After dinner, Blaine and the boys stayed in the kitchen and made ice cream sundaes while Rachel and Kurt drank tea out on the porch.

"Rachel, you seem so distracted tonight. What's going on?" Kurt asked.

Rachel sighed. "I just hate that Finn is always gone. It's unfair to the boys. They deserve to have their father around. Finn has the nerve to say that they are momma's boys, but he is never around to be their male influence. I can tell how much they miss him."

"I'm so sorry, Rachel," Kurt said. "I can't imagine how tough Finn's schedule is on you and the boys. You know how much he loves you though, right?"

Rachel nodded. "It would be nice for him to be home to show it though. The boy's idea of fatherly love is the souvenirs Finn brings home for them."

"Rachel, you are an amazing mother. You are so selfless and always think of the boys instead of yourself. You miss Finn too, don't you?"

"Of course I do. He's my husband. I don't remember the last time we've been truly, umm, intimate."

Kurt patted her knee comfortingly. "Finn comes home soon, right?"

Rachel nodded. "Tomorrow."

"Tell him how you feel, Rachel. You know he isn't good at inferring. Be direct. If he knows how hard this is on you, I'm sure he'll try to get some time off. You and the boys mean everything to him."

Rachel knows how much Finn loves her and the boys, but she also knows how much he loves football. That really scares her.

XXXXX

**Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter one! Reviews are very much appreciated (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of the positive feedback and encouragement! I really appreciate it! I'm glad everyone is excited for the Puckleberry interaction. Puck should show up probably in chapter 3 or 4. Thanks and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

**XXXXXXXX**

Rachel watched as the twins attacked their father the minute he opened the door. He struggled to carry in his suitcase with the two young boys clinging to his legs. He put down the suitcase and wrapped the boys in a giant hug.

"Hey guys," he said. "I missed you so much!"

Rachel was so glad that Finn was finally home. He traveled so much during football season. She smiled as he tickled the boys. They miss their father so much when he is gone. They always ask when their daddy is coming back. She walked over to her husband who grinned and then put the twins down. He wrapped his arms around her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Rach, I missed you so much," he whispered in her ear.

"I missed you too, Finn. This was a long week. We really missed you."

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Rach. I wish I could be home more."

He quickly turned back to the boys. "I brought you guys something."

The boys followed him at his heels to his suitcase. He unzipped it and took out two snow globes. One was green, and the other was blue. He handed Collin the green snow globe, and he gave Nathan the blue snow globe. _Rookie mistake. _Rachel's thought was confirmed as Nathan handed Collin the blue snow globe, and Collin handed him the green one. Finn frowned but quickly shook it off. Finn sat on the couch with a groan. He was tired from traveling. The boys immediately sat on either side of him. He smiled and ruffled their hair.

"So, what have my guys been up to this week?"

The boys immediately began telling Finn about their week, talking over one another. Rachel smiled. The boys were crazy about him. She tries not to take it personally that the boys are glued to his side and barely give her the time of day when he's home during football season. She knows the boys just cling to him because they don't have much time with him. Rachel looked at her watch. It was already ten pm.

She stood up from her chair. "Boys, I let you stay up late to see Daddy, but it's bed time. Finn, why don't you put them to sleep?"

Finn yawned. "You know, I'm really tired. Can you handle it, Rach?"

She put her hands on her hips. He hasn't seen his children in over a week, and he was too tired to read them a bed time story? She wouldn't stand for this. She turned to Nathan and Collin.

"Boys, go brush your teeth and put on your pajamas. Daddy will be in soon."

The boys could tell that Rachel was starting to use her "angry" voice so they did as they were told and ran off. Rachel turned back to Finn.

"Finn, you're reading Nathan and Collin a bed time story."

"Rachel, I'm exhausted and sore. I'll do it tomorrow night."

"No, Finn," she snapped. "You've been gone for over a week. Your boys missed you like crazy. Did you notice how they were glued to your side? During football season, they never see you. On the rare occasion that you are home, they are going to get to see you as much as they want. When you're home, you don't have the luxury of ignoring everyone's needs but your own. You're a parent, and parents have to take care of their kids no matter what they are feeling. Now get off the couch, and go read to our children."

No matter how tired Finn was, he knew not to test Rachel any further when she was this worked up. He held up his hands in surrender and went to read to the boys.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel lied in bed as she waited for Finn. Now that he was home, she began to relax. Finn would be home for two weeks before he had to travel for his next game. He would even be here for the boys' birthday, which they were ecstatic about. Finn walked into the room and stripped down to his boxers before he got into bed. He put his arms around Rachel and kissed her forehead. She sighed and relaxed into his body. Although Rachel and Finn's spark had dulled, there were still moments where Rachel could see the man she had fell so deeply in love with. She loves those moments, and they made it very hard for her to stay angry at her husband. He pulled her closer.

"Rach," he said softly. "I'm sorry I was being difficult. You are one hundred percent right. When I'm home, I need to give the boys as much attention as possible."

"They're so happy when they get to spend time with you. I hate to admit it, but I can't give Nathan and Collin what a father gives them."

"I know. Just remember, this will all be over with after this season."

Rachel sighed. "I just wish the season would end sooner."

Finn nodded and began to seductively run his hand down her arm. "You know, you need some attention too. I took care of the boys tonight so let me take care of you."

Finn began to plant kisses down Rachel's neck. She turned off her lamp and enjoyed the attention Finn was giving to her body.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel rubbed her eyes, yawned, and sat up in bed. She looked beside her and smiled when she saw her husband sleeping peacefully. Once this season was over, she could wake up to this every day. After the season, maybe they could take a trip. The boys could stay with Blaine and Kurt. Maybe they would go to Barbados. It'd be like a second honeymoon. They could rekindle their flame and live the life they had imagined for themselves when they got married. She jumped a little as Finn let out a loud snore. She chuckled to herself. Some things would never change. Rachel walked into the living room and was surprised to find that neither of her sons were awake and helping themselves to cereal. They must have been extra tired from staying up to see Finn when he got home. She decided to make waffles—the boys' and Finn's favorite breakfast. This was a morning to celebrate. Two and half months until football season is over. She hummed as she cooked. When the waffles were ready, she set them on the table and went to wake up the boys and Finn. When she entered her bedroom, she smiled at the sight. Nathan and Collin were nestled onto Finn's sides, and he had an arm around each of them. She sat on the bed and gently shook Finn's shoulder.

"Finn, time to wake up."

He opened his eyes slowly and sat up, unintentionally moving the boys. They grunted but continued to sleep.

"Hey, Rach," Finn whispered.

"Good morning, Sweetie. It's time to wake up. I made waffles."

He smiled. "Awesome. I miss your cooking so much when I travel."

She chuckled as she gently shook Nathan and Collin. "Hey, guys. Time to wake up."

They opened their eyes in unison. Collin was the first to speak. "I smell waffles."

Rachel nodded. "That's right. Get up and you can have some."

Hearing the confirmation that there were waffles, Nathan sat up quickly.

"I call the biggest one," he said as he ran to the kitchen.

"No fair," Collin whined as he ran after his brother.

Rachel looked at Finn. "I guess we should make sure they aren't killing each other."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After breakfast, the Hudson family sat on the couch and watched cartoons. The yellow sponge's squealing was interrupted by the ringing of Finn's cell phone. Nathan looked up in annoyance.

"Sorry," Finn apologized. "I gotta take this. It's Jack."

Rachel bit her lip. Nothing ever good came from a call from the Giants' manager. She watched as Finn walked to their bedroom. Rachel tried to concentrate on Spongebob, but she couldn't stop turning to look at her room. How was Finn still on the phone? She couldn't take the anxiety any more. She stood up and walked to their room.

"Okay, I understand. Bye, Jack," Finn said as Rachel entered the room. He hung up the phone.

"What did Jack want?" Rachel asked.

"Bad news. The game against the Falcons has been rescheduled for this Sunday. I have to leave Friday."

"You mean this Friday? In six days?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry."

"You can't do this, Finn. You're going to miss the boys' birthday."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Rachel put her hands on her hips. "If you miss this birthday, you will have missed half of their birthdays."

"This will only be the third," Finn said defensively.

"They're turning six," Rachel shouted.

"I don't have a choice."

Rachel continued to shout. "You do have a choice. Let the second-string play. It's Carson, right? I saw him at practice. He's good."

"Not as good as me," Finn argued. "The Falcons are too good for us to put in our second-string."

"Enough with the fucking excuses, Finn." Rachel breathed heavily. "The boys are going to be devastated. I can't be there when you tell them."

"Fine. I'll tell them alone," Finn grumbled as he marched out of the room.

Rachel sat on the bed and tried to hold back her tears. Things were looking up. Finn was being attentive to her and the boys, and they finally had more than a few days to spend together. But Finn and his pride had to mess up everything. He was going to break their sons' hearts, and that broke her heart. She heard a _ding _come from Finn's phone. She glanced over at the text. It was form Carl Stanton, Finn's agent. She read the text.

_Talked to Jack. Convinced him to renew your contract._

Rachel's heart fell into her stomach. No way. This wasn't happening. Finn was going to retire from football after this season. He was finally going to be home to be a father and husband. He could always decline the contract renewal. That's what he'll do. Rachel tried to convince herself of this as Finn walked back into the room.

"Well, Nate and Collin are in their room crying. I feel like shit. I'm a shit father."

Rachel remained silent and handed him the phone. Finn paled as he read the text.

"You're going to decline, right?" Rachel asked.

"Rach," Finn sighed.

"God, Finn. No. You promised you were going to retire after this season. You promised it would be over."

"I didn't think Jack was going to renew my contract."

"So we were your backup choice? You were just going to stay home with us because you couldn't play football anymore."

"It's not like that, Rachel. I was ready to retire, but now I don't think that I am ready. Jack's renewing my contract. My responsibility to my team isn't over."

"What about your responsibility to your family?"

"I'll make some changes. I'll let Carson play in more away games. I'll skip some of the publicity events and other random events. We can make it work."

Rachel breathed in and out. This was too much. As long as Finn had football, his family would always be in second place. She couldn't do anything to change that because she had no clue why a sport was more important than his family. Finn wasn't always like this, but now he always will be. Rachel finally admitted to herself that Finn had broken her heart long before he made the decision to miss the boys' sixth birthday. She couldn't do this anymore. Her already broken heart couldn't handle it. She had to do this for herself, Nathan, and Collin.

"It's not enough, Finn. I want a divorce."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: Well, there we go. It's out in the open. Rachel wants a divorce. Cue Puck, the divorce attorney. I'm excited for the next chapter. Hope you are too! Read and review, please! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys! As always, I really appreciate the reviews! Now, on to chapter three! Woohoo! Time for Puck! Oh, I'm no expert on divorce law, so don't freak out if something I have in here is wrong. It probably will be. **

**Sorry for any mistakes. I wanted to post this chapter before I left town.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Noah Puckerman sat with his legs propped up on his desk. He stared intently at his phone as he played Temple Run. Life was good. He was the best divorce attorney at his law firm, Peterson and Associates, and very possibly the best divorce attorney in New York. While Noah Puckerman wasn't the best student in high school, he had to admit that he kicked ass in college and law school. Law is his thing. He's already a partner at Peterson and Associates, and he isn't even thirty. He quickly put his feet down as the door to his office opened. The senior partner and founder of the firm, Richard Peterson, walked in. He threw a file onto Puck's desk.

"Puckerman," he said. "You have a high profile case coming in. That Broadway star, Rachel Hudson. Be on your best behavior."

Puck raised his eyebrows. "When am I not?"

Richard shook his head and walked out the door. Puck scanned through the file to prepare for the meeting. Rachel and Finn Hudson. Puck let out a quiet whistle. A Broadway star and a star quarterback. This could make for one hell of a divorce. He continued to scan through the file. They had been married for six years. They have a penthouse suite apartment, a summer house in the Hamptons, a boat-load of money, and two sons. Puck looked up when he heard a knock at his door. Santana Lopez, his secretary and good friend, opened the door.

"Puck," she said. "Rachel Hudson is here." The tall Latina raised her eyebrows with a smirk on her lips. "She's hot," Santana mouthed to him.

Puck nodded his head, a cocky grin gracing his lips. "Send her in."

He stood up and waited for his client. His eyes widened in surprise when she walked into his office. Santana was right. She was hot. She had gorgeous, sleek brown hair and wide brown eyes. She was short, but she definitely had a dancer's body. She was dressed in a tight, black pencil skirt and pink v-neck sweater. He really regretted not being a Broadway fan. She cleared her throat awkwardly. Damn. He didn't realize he had been ogling her. He put on his most charming smile as he shook her hand.

"Mrs. Hudson, please take a seat. I'm Noah Puckerman, but you can call me Puck."

She raised her eyebrows. "Puck? That's quite the nickname. That would be like calling one of my sons 'Hud.' I'll stick to Noah if that's okay."

He shrugged. "That's fine. Will Mr. Hudson be joining us?"

Rachel shook her head.

Puck nodded and asked, "Will he be seeking separate representation?"

Rachel sighed. "I'm guessing he will."

Puck raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Rachel sucked in her cheeks. "He doesn't know I'm meeting with you. I told him that I wanted a divorce a few days ago, but he doesn't seem to be taking me seriously. He doesn't seem to keen on a divorce, so I decided it would be best if I got the ball in motion."

Puck nodded his head slowly. This was going to be a tough case. From those few sentences, he could tell he would be doing a lot more than writing contracts and negotiating with Finn's lawyer. He looked at Rachel. Her beautiful eyes were intently staring at him. God, she is hot. He took a deep breath to slow his rapidly beating heart.

"Well, we can't do much without your husband and his attorney, but we can talk about the divorce process and what you want in the divorce."

Rachel crossed her legs. "That makes sense. So, tell me about the divorce process."

"Okay. First we have to meet with your husband and his attorney to serve him with the divorce. If he agrees to the divorce, I will draft a contract with the terms of the divorce you want, and we will meet with him and his attorney to discuss the contract. How many meetings and how long this takes depends on how agreeable he is. It wouldn't be unusual for us to have quite a few meetings to negotiate the terms before we can sign the contract and file the papers. However, all of this only happens if he agrees to the divorce. If he doesn't agree to the divorce, we'll have to go to court. But let's not cross that bridge unless we have to."

Rachel nodded. She was exhausted. The boys had been devastated about Finn missing their birthday. They were very moody and fighting more often than usual. Finn wasn't leaving for two days, but he might as well leave now. He was no help. On top of this, Rachel had three days to finish getting ready for the boys' birthday party. She wanted to make sure it was amazing to compensate for Finn's absence. She jumped a little when Noah cleared his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's been a long few days. I guess I need to let Finn know I've met with an attorney so he can get an attorney for himself."

"Right," Puck confirmed. "Once he gets his attorney, please call me with his or her name. Then, we can all set up a meeting."

Rachel bit her lip under the gaze of her very attractive attorney. She had not expected Noah Puckerman to look like this. She had expected an old man with graying hair and glasses. The last thing she had expected was a tan, muscular man with a mohawk and smoldering eyes. She shifted her legs uncomfortably. She blushed as she realized she had probably been staring for longer than she should have.

"Well, thank you very much for meeting with me today. I look forward to working with you, Noah."

He nodded and walked her to his door. "As do I, Mrs. Hudson."

She couldn't help but to notice the hint of flirtation in his tone and the sexiness of smirk. His lips. They were so kissable. Rachel tried to shake these thoughts from her head as she exited the building. What is wrong with her? She had barely started the divorce process, and she was already imagining herself with another man—not just another man, her attorney of all people. Rachel took a deep breath as she hailed a cab. For the sake of the divorce, she had to keep things professional. She had no other option.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel walked into the apartment to find Finn and the boys sprawled out on the couch. They were watching _Cars_. It was one of the boy's, and Finn's, favorite movies. Rachel put on her best stage smile and walked over to the couch. She picked Collin up, took his spot, and set him on her lap.

"Have you guys been watching movies all day?" Rachel asked.

Both the twins and Finn nodded their heads in unison without moving their eyes from the TV.

Quickly averting his gaze from the movie, Finn asked, "Where were you, Rach?"

"I had a meeting," she replied.

Finn nodded as he turned back to the TV. Rachel was relieved that Finn wasn't questioning her any further. She was too exhausted to come up with a good excuse, and she wasn't going to tell Finn where she really had been when they were in front of the boys. Rachel looked at her watch. It was already 7:30, and she hadn't even thought about what to cook for dinner. She decided it would be easier to go out to dinner.

"Guys," she said. "How about we go to Tony's for dinner?"

Tony's was their favorite pizza joint. They had pizzas piled high with meat for Finn and the boys, and they had vegan pizzas for Rachel. The family didn't go out often because of paparazzi and fans. Rachel also preferred to cook nutritional meals for Nathan and Collin. However, when they do go out to dinner, they tend to pick Tony's.

"Awesome," Nathan squealed, and Collin nodded his head in agreement.

"Sounds good," Finn added. "We haven't been there in a while."

"It's getting late," Rachel said. "Let's get going. It's nice out so we can walk."

Rachel turned off the TV, ignoring the boys' groans. She handed Nathan his black sneakers while Finn tried to help Collin put on his new grey converse.

"No," Collin cried.

"What's wrong, Buddy?" Finn asked. "You loved these when we bought them at Macy's."

Rachel and Nathan looked at each other. They both knew that Collin's favorite shoes for today were his brown converse.

Collin whimpered and wiped his nose Finn's sleeve. Finn's face twisted in disgust. Rachel held back a little laugh. Finn still wasn't used to dealing with snot, vomit, and whatever other bodily fluids the boys produced. Rachel had become accustomed to a little snot on her shirt a long time ago. Nathan tugged on Finn's sleeve and whispered something into his ear. Finn nodded and smiled appreciatively. He grabbed Collin's brown converse.

"How about these, Collin?"

Collin wiped his snot on his own sleeve this time and took his shoes from his father. Finn looked extremely relieved as Collin put on the shoes. Since Finn wasn't home as often as Rachel, he wasn't used to the boys' meltdowns and temper tantrums. Rachel tries to tell him how to handle them, but Finn always ends up standing there awkwardly. Rachel grabbed her purse and ushered her family out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puck sunk into his leather recliner when he got home from work. He popped open the beer he had grabbed from his fridge and took a swig. He still couldn't stop thinking about Rachel. He never really gave this much thought to his clients. They were usually just another case, even if the client was a hot chick. There is just something about Rachel. He had barely spoken to this woman for an hour, but he so desperately wanted to do whatever he could to help her. Her eyes were so kind and trusting. The guy who hurt her must be a real bastard. Puck was nervous for the meeting when he had to ask her why she wanted a divorce. He has heard his share of reasons, and he should be immune to whatever answer Rachel Hudson might give him. Yet he had a burning feeling deep in his gut as he thought about the possibilities. Had Finn cheated on her? Is Finn abusive towards her or her kids? Puck tried to push these dark thoughts out of his mind as he took another swig of his beer. He opened his laptop and typed _Rachel Hudson _onto Google. He clicked on the images. One really stood out to him. It was a picture of Rachel walking down the street with her twins. The way she held their hands protectively was kind of a turn on for Puck. Although he was undoubtedly a bad ass, he has a soft spot for kids. He noticed that the kid holding Rachel's left hand looked a lot like her. According to the caption the kid's name is Nathan. He was a really cute kid. Puck looked at the other kid who looked more like Finn. He looked at the caption. The little boy's name is Collin. He was also a cute kid. He scanned through more pictures and articles, intrigued by Rachel Hudson. She had starred in _West Side Story_, _Mamma Mia_, and a few other shows that he didn't recognize. She was also a vegan and a Super-Mom. He jumped when his phone rang. He grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. It was Santana.

"Sup?" he answered.

"So, what do you think of your new client?" Santana asked.

Puck didn't want to admit how much he had been thinking about Rachel. "She's hot," he replied nonchalantly.

"Yeah. She is hot."

"Hey, where's Brittany?" Puck asked. Brittany is Santana's girlfriend. Santana had come out during her senior year after she had fallen madly in love with Brittany.

Santana chuckled. "She's at the pet store looking for a toy for Lord Tubbington. Don't worry. Britt's the one for me. I'm not interested in Rachel. She's all yours."

Puck tried to sound indignant. "I'm not interested in her. She's my client, and she's still married."

"Please," Santana huffed. "Like that would stop you. I know you, Puckerman. I saw the look on your face. You're interested."

Puck sighed. "Whatever. She's a client. I'm not gonna get involved. I need to save my risks for the court room."

"Okay, Puck. We'll see what happens."

"Goodbye, Santana," Puck replied curtly as he hung up the phone. He closed his computer and tried to get his mind off Rachel Hudson.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**AN: So the Puckleberry attraction begins! Hope you enjoyed! Read and review, please (:**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys! I'm glad you're as excited about the introduction as Puck as I am. Enjoy chapter 4.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rachel sat crossed-legged on her bed as Finn packed his suitcase. She was working up the nerve to tell him about her meeting with Noah. This was the best time for her to tell him. The boys were at the Central Park Zoo with Kurt and Blaine. Finn was leaving for Atlanta tomorrow, and the boys' birthday was the next day. She had to do this now.

She took a deep breath before she began to speak. "Finn, we need to talk."

"Can it wait, Rach?" he asked. "I need to finish packing."

"It really can't wait, Finn."

Finn sighed and took a seat next to her. "What's going on?"

She bit her lip. "I met with a divorce attorney yesterday."

Finn's eyes widened. "Rachel, I didn't think you were serious about the divorce. I just thought you were in one of your moods."

"Finn, I am extremely serious about the divorce. This is not one of my moods. This divorce has been a long time coming."

"No, Rach. Please," Finn breathed out.

"I'm sorry, Finn. You should probably hire your own divorce attorney."

"You can't do this, Rachel. What about the boys? Think about them."

Rachel snapped. Of all things he could say, he accused her of not thinking about the boys. She had slowed a very successful Broadway career to take time to care for the boys. She was the one who was home the long week that they both had the stomach flu. She broke up their fights, cleaned their rooms, always found Collin's favorites of the day.

"I am thinking about them. I'm thinking about how they don't deserve a part-time father. They deserve a father who is always there for their birthday. They deserve a father who loves to come home every night and tuck them in. They deserve everything you won't give them, Finn."

"Rachel—"

"No," she interrupted. "You aren't changing my mind. Find yourself a lawyer, Finn."

"Fine! I'll find a lawyer so he can tell your lawyer that I am not agreeing to a divorce!"

Rachel threw Noah's business card at Finn. "Fuck you, Finn. When you find a lawyer to represent your pathetic ass, have him call my lawyer."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puck sat at his desk reading through a file. The case was a 25-years-old woman divorcing a 55-years-old man. Puck was pretty sure that she just wanted the man's money, but it wasn't his job to judge. He looked through his research, hoping to find ammunition against the husband. He felt bad for the guy. He seemed like a good guy. The man, Lucas, was an accountant. His first wife had died in a car accident, and he had waited ten years to remarry. Lucas has a daughter who is a freshman at NYU. Puck ran his hand through his mowhawk. It was a Friday afternoon, and he wanted to get the fuck out of the office so he could start the weekend. He groaned as he picked up the phone.

"This is Noah Puckerman. May I ask who's calling?" he said.

"Hi, Puck. It's Jesse St. James."

Puck sighed. Jesse was a prominent divorce attorney from another firm. He was extremely cocky, but he was not as good of a lawyer as Puck. He was still pretty good, though. Puck really hated the prick. "What do you need, Jesse?"

"Don't sound so excited. I'm just calling to let you know that I'm going to be representing Finn Hudson."

Puck's heart skipped a beat. He should have known that Finn would hire one of New York's top attorneys. He didn't mind the competition, but he had hoped Finn would hire a dud attorney so the divorce would be quick and easy for Rachel's sake.

"Finn comes back to town on Tuesday, so I was thinking we could all meet on Wednesday," Jesse continued.

Puck checked his calendar. "That works."

"Great," Jesse said. "How about 3:30?"

"Sure. I'll confirm with Rachel Hudson and give you a call."

"Great. I'm looking forward to it," Jesse said in his usual cocky tone.

"Bye, Jesse." Puck rolled his eyes and hung up before Jesse could say something else.

Puck vaguely remembered Rachel saying that Finn was leaving town today. He didn't want to make her day any crappier than it already was. He decided to give her a call tomorrow.

He looked at the clock and saw that it was 5:00. He gathered his things and walked out of his office. He stopped at Santana's desk.

"Let's get a drink."

Santana raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I'm usually the one to ask you that. Rough day?"

Puck shrugged his shoulders. He didn't really want to talk about it.

Santana understand what he meant and didn't push him any further. She put on her jacket. "Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel woke up early on Saturday morning. She had a lot to do. She wanted to make the boys a special breakfast for their birthday, and she had to finish setting up for the party. She also had to get herself ready as well as the boys. Rachel quickly put on a black dress with three blue buttons on her chest. She brushed her hair and applied light makeup. She wandered into the kitchen to make breakfast. She made waffles and added chocolate chips to the batter. She was usually against chocolate for breakfast, but it was the boys' birthday. She also cooked some bacon. Since she was a vegan, the smell nauseated her. She tried to ignore the smell as she placed the food on the table.

Rachel tip-toed into the boys' room, and sang _Happy Birthday _to wake them up. Collin was the first to open his eyes. He gave his famous lopsided grin when he realized what the day was. He turned to look at his brother who was still asleep. Collin threw a stuffed animal Nathan.

"Nathan, wake up! It's our birthday!"

Nathan rubbed his eyes and sat-up. "Presents," he shouted.

"Not until your party," Rachel said. "But, I made chocolate chip waffles and bacon for breakfast."

Nate and Collin raced to the kitchen to eat the treats they rarely got. Rachel followed them into the kitchen. They were already sitting at the table, devouring the food.

"Slow down," Rachel laughed. "We don't want tummy aches on your birthday."

Nathan quickly swallowed a bite of his waffle. "It's sooo good," he exclaimed.

Collin nodded as he wiped his chocolate-covered hands onto his shirt. Rachel was glad she decided to leave them in their pajamas until after they had eaten. She grabbed a napkin and wiped the chocolate that was smeared on Collin's face.

"When you guys are done eating, go wash your faces and brush your teeth. I need to finish setting up for your party."

Rachel wandered into the living room as the boys continued to eat. She finished decorating the living room with football banners. She set up a card table and set it with a football tablecloth, football cups, football plates, and football napkins. The boys requested a football themed party this year. The irony stung. The boys had chosen the theme to impress their father who ended up bailing out on their party. Rachel sighed as she sat up the games. Rachel had searched almost every party and athletics store in New York City, and she finally found football themed games. She purchased pin-the-helmet on the quarterback and corn hole with football bean-bags. Rachel went to check on Nate's and Collin's progress. They were both brushing their teeth, shoving each other for better access to the sink. They finished and wiped their mouths, Nathan wiping his mouth on a towel and Collin wiping his on his shirt.

Rachel laughed. "Guys, I have a surprise for you." She motioned for them to follow her to their room.

She opened their closet and pulled out custom made New York Giants jerseys for them. They had their names and the number "6" on the back. The boys squealed and grabbed their jerseys. They quickly tossed aside their night-shirts to put on the jerseys. Rachel handed each of them a pair of freshly pressed jeans.

"Do we look like Daddy?" Nathan asked.

Rachel smiled. "Just like Daddy." While Rachel was mad at Finn, she couldn't penalize the boys for their unwavering loyalty. They were little boys, and little boys look up to their dads—even more so when their dad is a star quarterback. When the doorbell rang, Rachel followed the boys to the living room as they rushed to greet their first guest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puck sat on his leather recliner and swallowed two Advil. He was a little hung over after drinking with Santana last night. He didn't have the stamina he used to have. Puck took a cold shower and made some coffee to bring him out of his fog.

He opened his planner on his phone to see what work he had to catch up on. He had been working much slower this week, undoubtedly due to Rachel Hudson. He couldn't help but to go back to her file, research her, research Finn. Santana said he was being a borderline stalker. Puck preferred to think it was dedication to his job, but he knew his diligence was more than just his work. It was Rachel. That one meeting with her had made him feel the passion that originally put him in his line of work.

Puck started out like most lawyers: gung-ho, over-involved with clients. However, case after case drained the zest to emotionally connect with his clients that he had when he started the job. Sure, he poured all his effort into the each case and all of his energy into each trial, but that's all his work had become. Cases, contracts, court, and some trials. Rachel brought Puck back to the days where each file was a client, not just paperwork. He wanted to know everything—why she wanted the divorce, what went wrong in her marriage, and the personal stuff that lawyers shouldn't concern themselves with when it comes to clients.

He couldn't help it. He hadn't felt this passion in a while, and it was too startling and consuming for him to push aside. The passion wasn't exactly what startled him. He knew he had the passion in him. What startled Puck was that his passion for Rachel ran deeper than the passion an attorney has for helping their client. His passion for Rachel was not just for Rachel the client but for Rachel the person. And what more than startled him, even downright scared him, was that he felt this way after only one encounter with her.

Puck took a sip of his coffee and looked at his planner. He had to call Rachel to tell her about the meeting with Finn and St. Jerk. He found her number in his address book and pressed dial.

"Hello?" His heart beat sped up at her sweet, melodic voice. He couldn't help but to wonder if she had been thinking about him as much as he had been thinking about her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel began cleaning as the last guest left the boys' party. Most things had gone without incident. Of course, there were the usual juice spills and little scuffs, but Blaine and Kurt had helped Rachel run interference. Rachel put down the trash bag she was filling as her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. Noah. Her heart fluttered, and her breath hitched. She knew she shouldn't react like this to simply a name, nonetheless the name of her lawyer. Rachel called out to Kurt that she had take a phone call and walked into the hall.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Rachel. It's Noah. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just cleaning up from my boys' birthday party."

"Cool. Tell them I say 'happy birthday'."

"Thanks. I will. Now what are you calling about?"

"Oh, I got a call from a lawyer named Jesse St. James. He's going to represent Finn."

Rachel bit her lip. "Is he good?"

"Yes, but I'm better."

Rachel didn't doubt it. "What did he say?"

"We scheduled a meeting for Wednesday at 3:30. Does that work for you?"

Rachel paused a moment and thought about her week. "Sure, that works."

"Great," Puck said. "I'll see you then. Have a nice weekend, Rachel."

Rachel loved how he said her name. She heard her name hundreds of times a day, but the way he said it made her name sound interesting. She really had to pause to make sure he was saying "Rachel" and that he was talking to her.

"Thanks, Noah. Same to you," Rachel said, his name tingling her tongue.

Rachel walked back into the apartment. Her lawyer's face was in her head as she continued to clean.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**AN: Sorry there wasn't Puckleberry face-to-face interaction in this chapter. I'm still trying to build their relationship, but they will become closer as the divorce escalates. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks! Read and Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Here is chapter five! Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement! Again, I'm going to mention that I don't know about divorce law, so don't be surprised if something I say about it is inaccurate. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rachel sat in a small conference room with Noah at his law firm. It wasn't quite 3:30, but they had decided to meet a few minutes early to make sure that they were on the same page. Rachel sat nervously in the leather chair, fidgeting with her hands.

She cleared her throat. "Finn called me Monday night. His coach decided to send the team straight to Detroit to start practicing for their game on Sunday. Finn won't be at the meeting, but he talked to Jesse who will still be meeting with us."

Puck nodded. "That's fine. It could actually work to our benefit."

Puck sensed Rachel's nerves. He patted her hand gently, jumping a little at the sparks he felt.

Rachel quickly snapped her head up. She focused her deep brown eyes on Puck. She was surprised at the jolt she had felt from his hand on hers. His touch filled her body with warm tingles. She bit her lip and tore her gaze from her attorney.

"So," she said in a soft voice. "Shall we go over what I want in the divorce one more time?"

Puck nodded. "I think I got it, but it can't hurt. You want primary custody of the boys, the apartment, and half of the money."

"Right," Rachel confirmed.

"Oh, I'm not sure if I already asked, but did you and Finn sign prenuptial agreements regarding money?" Puck asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No. Neither of us came into the marriage with much money. We're self made. Is it bad that we don't have one?"

"Nah, it's fine. If you had one, that would determine how the money would be divided. Now we'll just have to negotiate, but it isn't a problem."

There was a knock at the door. Both Puck and Rachel turned to look at the door. Santana stuck her head in.

"Hey, St. Jerk is here," she announced.

Rachel let out a nervous laugh. She could only assume Santana was talking about Finn's lawyer, and that nickname wasn't very comforting. "Is he really that bad?"

Santana leaned against the door frame. "He's a prick and arrogant, but don't worry. Puck can handle him." Santana winked at Rachel.

Puck blushed and cleared his throat. "Send him in."

Santana nodded and went to send in Jesse.

Rachel and Puck stood up as Jesse entered the room. Rachel gave the other attorney a quick once-over. He was very clean-cut, suave even. He had perfectly curled brown hair and defined cheek bones with a delicate nose. He could almost be described as pretty. He was dressed in an expensive looking grey suit.

Jesse reached out his hand to Rachel. "Mrs. Hudson, very nice to meet you," he said.

His voice was rather melodious. Rachel thought he would be a good singer. She took his hand. "Thank you. Likewise, Mr. St. James."

"Jesse is fine," he said. He turned to Puck. "Nice to see you again, Puck."

Puck nodded curtly. "Let's get started."

"Very well," Jesse said. He took a seat and got out a notepad. "Mr. Hudson will not be able to meet with us, but I had an extensive phone conference with him last night."

"What did you discuss?" Puck asked impatiently.

Jesse ran his hand through his curls. "Finn is not agreeing to the divorce."

Finn had told Rachel he didn't want the divorce, but Rachel had hoped that he would look at the situation more objectively after he had calmed down. Rachel knew that was purely hope. No matter what Rachel tried to convince herself of, she knew Finn would not give in easily. Rachel took a deep breath and turned to Puck. His exterior remained cool and calm.

"Okay," Puck said. "But he hasn't even heard our terms."

"Doesn't matter," Jesse chuckled. "He doesn't want the divorce at all."

"I understand that, but he should at least hear our terms. Rachel has been very generous, but we can't assure that a judge will be equally as generous."

Jesse's jaw clenched. "Okay," he said slowly. "I will advise Finn to join us for a meeting before we take any further action."

"He'll be home Monday," Rachel added. "I would like to schedule the meeting for as soon as possible once he returns."

Jesse scanned his calendar. "Does Tuesday at 2:00 work?"

"Can we push it up to 2:30? I have another meeting that should get out around 2:00," Puck said.

Rachel nodded. "That's fine."

"That works for me as well," Jesse agreed. "I'll verify this with Finn and let you know if anything changes."

Puck handed Jesse some papers. "I've began to draft the divorce papers. Take a look at them before our next meeting."

Jesse nodded as he stood up. "Will do. I have to get going, but it was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hudson."

Rachel stood up also. "Thank you," she replied.

Rachel sat back down next to Puck once Jesse had left. She closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't believe this is happening. It was all so surreal. When Rachel and Finn got married, she was convinced that they would last forever. They were the perfect couple and could get through anything.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Puck offered.

"I'm fine," Rachel said. "I'm just really tired. In addition to this mess, our nanny is out of town. My boys have been going nonstop."

"My secretary, Santana, babysits sometimes. I'm sure she would be happy to take care of your boys," Puck offered.

"That's so kind, but Sebastian will be home in a few days."

"Sebastian? You have a male nanny?" Puck asked incredulously.

"Is it hard to believe?" Rachel asked as she raised her eyebrows.

"Well, aren't women usually nannies?"

"That's a stereotype."

"Sorry," Puck apologized.

Rachel could tell that he wasn't sorry from the playful smirk on his face. Usually, this would have annoyed her. However, she found the insincerity of his apology rather endearing. Rachel shook her head. She knew how messed up that is. Rachel looked at her watch.

"I need to go pick up my kids from my friends' house," she said as she stood up to leave.

"Hey," Puck said. "I can tell how much you need a break. I could watch the boys for an afternoon."

Puck didn't fully realize what he had said until he saw Rachel's eyebrows raise in surprise. Puck felt like an idiot. He wouldn't be surprised if Rachel fired him on the spot and found a new lawyer. Puck cursed himself in his head. He was usually much more rational. His pulse increased as he waited for Rachel's answer.

"I couldn't ask you to do that. I don't think that's in your job description," Rachel said slowly.

"It's not, but I go above and beyond for my clients. I seriously don't mind. I can take Nate and Collin to a park or something. Besides, I thought you liked male babysitters," Puck joked.

Rachel thought for a minute. "Okay. That would be so helpful."

"Great. I can pick them up tomorrow around 2:00 if that's okay."

"That's fine by me, but don't you have to work?" Rachel questioned.

Puck shrugged. "Don't worry about that."

"Okay," Rachel said skeptically. "Thank you so much. You have my cell, right?"

Puck nodded. He walked Rachel to the exit.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

Rachel smiled. "Thank you so much."

He nodded as Rachel left. Once Rachel had gotten on the elevator and the doors had closed, he collapsed onto the couch in the firm's lobby. Puck knew the law and he knew chicks, but he felt like he was entering completely new territory.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puck had no clue what he was doing. Why had he offered to babysit Rachel's kids? It was too late to take back his offer. He just had to man up. He put on his jacket and closed the door to his office. As he passed Santana's desk, he stopped. He could feel her stare on his back.

"What do you want?" he groaned.

"Nothing," she said sarcastically. "I just want to know what to tell people when they ask why you're out of the office. Should I tell them you're babysitting kids for a client that you're in love with?"

"Damn it, Santana. I'm not in love with Rachel. I'm just doing her a favor."

"But you'd like to be 'doing her,' right?"

"Shut it, Satan. Just tell people I'm attending to a personal matter," Puck sighed.

"Okay," Santana said. "Be careful, Puck."

He knew that he was past the point of being careful as he left the building.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel helped Nate and Collin get ready to go to the park. She had no clue why she had accepted Puck's offer. She had only met the man twice, and she was letting him take her kids out. Rachel just felt that she could trust Puck, and she had a pretty good gut instinct.

"Okay, guys," Rachel said. "Mommy's friend, Mr. Puckerman, is going to take you to the park. You'll have a great time. He's very nice. Please be on your best behavior."

"Why isn't Sebastian taking us?" Collin questioned.

"He's still out of town," Rachel replied.

Nate crossed his arms. "What if we don't like Mr. Puckerman? Then we're stuck with him."

Rachel sighed. Her son is as stubborn as she is. "You'll like Mr. Puckerman. And I know that you'll be polite."

Nate nodded but still had a small scowl on his face. Rachel stood up when she heard the doorbell ring. She went to let Puck in, the twins following close behind.

Rachel smiled as she opened the door. "Hi, Noah. Thanks so much for doing this."

"No problem," he said with a shrug.

Rachel turned to Nate and Collin. "Boys, this is Mr. Puckerman."

"They can call me Puck," he said.

Nate giggled. "Puck's a funny name. Puck, luck, duck, fu—"

"That's enough," Rachel interrupted before her son unknowingly dropped an f-bomb.

Rachel handed Puck a bag as the boys put on their coats.

"What's in here?" Puck asked. "It's weighs a shit load."

"First, no cursing around the boys," Rachel said. "The bag has juice, snacks, and a first-aid kit."

"Is that really necessary?" Puck challenged her.

"Yes. It is all necessary." Rachel put her hands on her hips and gave Puck a look that let him know that you don't challenge Mama Bear.

"Fine," Puck sighed. "I'll have them home by 3:30 or 4:00."

"Great," Rachel said. "Please call if you need anything. Oh, and hold the boys' hands when you cross the street."

Puck nodded as he ushered the boys out of the apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puck and the boys stared at one another awkwardly as they stood at the playground.

"So, what do you guys do when you come here?" he asked the twins.

"We play football with Daddy," Nate replied.

The kid seemed a little hostile.

"We like the tire swing," Collin added.

"Great," Puck said. "Go ahead and play on it." Puck turned to go sit on a bench.

"Wait," Nate called. "You have to stand there with us to make sure we don't get kidnapped."

Puck could tell Nate had inherited his mother's paranoia. "Okay." Puck followed the boys to the tire swing.

After a few minutes, Nate and Collin grew bored with the tire swing. Puck looked around, trying to find something to do. A basketball lying on the basketball court caught his eye. He had been a pretty good basketball player in high school.

"Do you guys know how to play basketball?" he asked the twins.

They shook their heads.

"It's pretty simple." Puck motioned them over the court where he picked up the ball. "You dribble the ball and try to avoid the other players because they will try to steal the ball from you. To move, you have to dribble the ball. You can't carry it. Once you get close the basket, you can try to shoot the ball in the basket."

Puck demonstrated what he had just explained. The ball sailed into the basket. Puck smirked at the looks of wonderment that the boys were giving him. Yeah, he's pretty awesome.

"Wanna try?" he asked Collin. He threw Collin the ball.

Collin dribbled the ball sloppily and tried to shoot it into the basket. He missed it. "I'm too short," he said sadly.

"Here," Puck said. He picked Collin up and held him closer to the basket. "Try now."

Collin threw the ball, and the ball sailed into the basket this time. "Thanks," Collin grinned as he patted Puck's mowhawk.

"That was great," Puck chuckled and put Collin down.

"My turn," Nate squealed.

Puck grinned at the boy's enthusiasm as he picked him up. They continued to play basketball (or Puck picking Nate and Collin up so they could reach the basket) for about half an hour. Then the three of them sat down on a bench to take a juice and crackers break. Puck looked at his watch.

"Come on, guys," he said. "It's time to go home."

Nate groaned. "I wanna play more."

"Me too," Collin chimed in.

Puck was pleased the boys had enjoyed spending time with him. He would have been humiliated if they had gone home and told Rachel that they hated him.

"Sorry, dudes," Puck said. They all stood up and began to walk home. Puck grinned when the boys grabbed his hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puck listened to Nate and Collin chatter as he sat in the Hudson apartment. The twins were talking over each other, and Puck had no clue what they were saying. As much as he wanted to stay, he knew it was time to get back to work. He said his goodbyes, and Rachel walked him to the door.

"Thank you so much, Noah. The boys had a wonderful time. I'm so grateful."

"It was no problem. I had fun, too. They're really good kids," Puck commented.

Rachel smiled. She knew she had raised good boys, but the reassurance was nice. Especially when it was coming from Puck. Rachel waved goodbye to Puck and joined her kids in the living room. The smiles on her twins' faces proved that her gut instinct was correct.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**AN: Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter five. I thought Puck and the twins were pretty cute (: And, does anyone else think it would be awesome to see Sebastian as a nanny? Please review! They inspire me to write more! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. Things have been crazy, but I wrote a long chapter to apologize! Thanks so much for the feedback. I've gotten a lot of reviews mentioning that they hope the divorce is quick and that Finn gives in easily. I hate to disappoint, but this isn't going to be the easiest divorce. All of the hurdles that happen are for a reason and leading up to something big. Remember, Puckleberry is endgame! Thanks! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Glee=Not mine  
**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Rachel sat on the leather couch in Sebastian's apartment. His apartment was quite large and filled with expensive furniture. When Rachel first saw his apartment, she was hesitant to hire him. There was no way a nanny could afford an apartment like this. She assumed that he had to be a drug dealer. After a little research, Rachel found out that Sebastian had a hefty trust fund. When she knew he wouldn't endanger her kids, she hired him immediately.

Rachel sighed. "Thank you so much for letting Nate and Collin spend the night. It's been a stressful few weeks."

Sebastian was the only person who Rachel had told about the divorce. He knew it was unusual for Rachel to need his help so often. Sebastian was good at reading people, and he knew Rachel was lying about having a lot of errands. He hounded her until she gave in and told him about the divorce. Other than Kurt and Blaine, Sebastian was the only one who knew how much Rachel and the twins suffered from Finn's schedule. Sebastian had no personal ties to Finn and was always inclined to side with Rachel.

He squeezed Rachel's shoulder. "It's fine. I missed them while I was out-of-town."

Rachel looked at her watch and groaned. "I have to get going. Couldn't I just stay here and skip the meeting?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Nope. You have to go kick some ass."

Rachel got up. Sebastian was right. She said goodbye to the twins, who were playing on the patio, and went to the meeting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time Rachel got to Puck's office, she was already stressed. She had hit some traffic and was about ten minutes late. Rachel was _never _late. Puck, Finn, and Jesse were waiting on her in the conference room.

Rachel took a seat next to Puck. Before she could apologize for being late, Finn started in on her.

"Rachel, you cannot be serious. You want to be the primary custodian of Nate and Collin? That's bull shit. You're making it seem like I'm some dead beat dad who is never sober enough to see his kids."

Rachel wanted to tell him that half of that description was correct, but she didn't want to make Finn any angrier. That wouldn't do her any good. "Finn, I'm not saying you're a bad father. I'm saying that it's in the boys' best interests to have me as the primary guardian."

"Why?" he demanded.

"You're always out-of-town for football. The boys need stability. If we had split custody, the boys would have to travel with you. They'd be living in hotel rooms. They'd miss too much school. They'd miss their friends, Sebastian, Kurt, and Blaine. They need consistency, and you can't always provide that for them."

"Rachel, that's so unfair. You can't take my sons away from me."

"I'm not taking them away from you," Rachel explained. "When you're home, you're welcome to see the boys. They can sleepover at your place, too."

Finn wasn't satisfied. "If I only get to see them when I'm home, I'll have no time with them."

Rachel sighed in frustration. "Exactly."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Finn questioned angrily.

"Whether we're married or not, you're still going to have to travel for football. Regardless of the divorce, you still won't be home to see the boys."

"It's different," Finn said. His voice was defensive and whiny.

"Okay," Puck interrupted. "We don't have to settle this matter now. We have other things to discuss."

Jesse raised his eyebrows. "We don't have any matters to discuss if Finn doesn't agree to the divorce."

Finn crossed his arms and nodded.

"That's cool," Puck smirked. "It will be fun to kick your ass in court, St. James."

Jesse knew how strong of a litigator Puck was. He didn't want to risk a loss that would damage his almost pristine record. That would be bad for business, and Jesse St. James likes upscale salons and suits. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Puck. How about mediation?" Jesse suggested.

Puck looked at Rachel. "Do you know mediation works?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

Puck explained. "We'll have a court assigned mediator. The mediator will be like a judge, but they won't rule in favor of either of you. Each side will have a chance to present their case to the mediator. Then, the mediator suggests a compromise that satisfies both your needs and Finn's needs."

Rachel nodded slowly. "I guess it couldn't hurt."

"So we all agree on mediation?" Jesse asked.

Everyone nodded.

Puck opened up his lap top. "I'm looking at the availability to get a mediator. It looks like the next opening is Thursday at noon. Does that work?"

All four adults in the room checked their schedules and confirmed that they could attend the mediation. Rachel stood up to shake hands with Jesse as he and Finn were leaving.

"Always a pleasure, Mrs. Hudson," Jesse said with a grin.

Finn bent down to kiss Rachel on the lips, but she quickly turned so he could only kiss her cheek.

Finn's cheeks reddened in embarrassment at the rejection. "See you at home, Rach?"

"Yeah," Rachel replied indifferently.

She fell back into her chair when Finn and Jesse finally left. Where the hell did Finn get off trying to kiss her in a divorce proceeding? There was nothing remotely okay about that. Rachel was pretty sure that his inappropriate attempt to kiss her was near the top of the list of stupid things he had done. And Finn had done some stupid things.

Puck must have read Rachel's mind. "Did he really just try to kiss you?"

Rachel nodded. "He must have a different connotation of divorce."

Puck chuckled. "I'm just going to come out and say it. What a dumbass."

Rachel let out a loud laugh. "Is that your professional opinion?"

Puck shrugged. "I didn't think you'd mind me saying it."

Rachel nodded. "Hell, I agree."

When the two had stopped laughing, they both just stared intently at each other. Neither of them knew how to transition out of this deep eye contact. Suddenly, Rachel's phone let out a _ding_. It was the perfect way to break their intense stares.

"Sorry, I just need to check this text. The boys are with their nanny tonight."

"The dude, right?" Puck asked.

Rachel laughed and nodded as she looked at her phone. "This is new."

"Is everything okay?" Puck asked. He figured nothing serious was happening because Rachel's perfect lips curled into an amused smirk.

"Everything's fine. Collin was mad at Nate so he put Nate's stuffed monkey down his pants. Now Nate is crying and trying to put Collin's stuffed animals down his pants."

Puck grinned and shook his head. "That's creative."

Rachel smiled as she sent a quick text to Sebastian. "I'm so proud. I hope they didn't give you this much trouble."

"Nope. They were great," Puck said.

"Well, they really loved you. Collin begged me to let him get a mohawk just like yours." Rachel chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"I'm flattered," Puck smirked. "Do you want the name of my hair stylist?"

"Not at all, actually," Rachel said.

Puck nodded. "It's a tough look to pull off. I manage it exceedingly well, though."

"Save the confidence for the mediation," Rachel scolded as she tried to hide the smile that crept onto her lips.

"Okay," Puck surrendered. "We should probably prep before the mediation. I don't have any more appointments today if you have some extra time."

"Well, I'm dying to get home to Finn. But, I can manage to stay a little longer," Rachel said sarcastically.

Puck laughed. "I could really use some caffeine. Do you want to do our prep at the coffee shop around the corner?"

Puck froze. He really shouldn't have suggested that. It was so unprofessional. Maybe he had just said it to himself. He glanced up at Rachel's face. Her eyebrows were raised in surprise. Fuck. He said it aloud. He tried to calm himself down. Plenty of people do work at a coffee shop, right? It wasn't a big deal. This was going to be strictly professional. As hard as Puck tried to believe that, he knew asking Rachel to do the mediation prep at the coffee shop was fucked up. After what seemed like an hour but was probably just a few seconds, Rachel replied.

"Sure. Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rachel had no clue what she was doing. She was sitting in a coffee shop with Puck. They had files and a laptop spread on the table, but Rachel couldn't deny that their impromptu visit to the coffee shop wasn't purely business. In fact, they had barely mentioned the mediation that they were supposed to prep for. They were just talking and laughing. Rachel hadn't felt this relaxed in a while.

"In high school, I was in a club for Jewish kids. My town was super small, so there was only one other kid in the club. I called him Jew-Fro. He had a red-bushy 'fro, huge glasses, and acne. I wanted to quit the club so badly so I wouldn't have to sit in a classroom for an hour with Jew-Fro, but my mom wouldn't let me quit. Jew-Fro was on the school mock trial team, and he always practiced during Jewish Club because I wouldn't talk to him. He wasn't very good at it, but I still found it pretty interesting. I considered joining the team, but I was kind of shallow back then and didn't want to damage my reputation. When I got to college and figured out that I was just a small fish in a big pond, I joined my college's mock trial team. I fell in love with the law and knew that's what I wanted to do with my life."

Rachel smiled. "That was a nice story aside from how mean you were to that poor kid."

Puck shrugged. "He was a pain in the ass."

"It seems like you owe him some gratitude."

Puck snorted. "What for?"

Rachel crossed her legs and smoothed out her skirt. "It seems like you wouldn't have considered being a lawyer if he hadn't practiced for mock trial."

"He only did that because _I _ignored him."

"Oh, my apologies. How else would you have chosen a career if hadn't been so rude to that poor boy?"

"Okay," Puck groaned. "He deserves _some _credit. Damn, you really have the guilt-trip thing down."

Rachel shrugged. "Motherhood."

Puck grinned. "So, Rachel, tell me a story from your high school days."

Rachel bit her lip. "There's nothing that significant from my high school days."

Rachel knew this was a complete lie. She could tell him about slushies, glee club, and a number of other things. But all of those things led to Finn. Rachel didn't want to think about Finn and especially not when she was with Puck. A familiar voice penetrated her hesitation.

"Rachel, what are you doing here? And who is this?"

Rachel looked up at Kurt whose hands were on his hips as he glared at Puck. Blaine looked uncomfortable as he stood behind Kurt. Rachel bit her lip. She hadn't told Kurt and Blaine that she was filing for divorce. She knew Kurt would take it terribly. Rachel had been trying to find the right way to tell Kurt and Blaine, but she knew she didn't have that luxury anymore. She could tell Kurt thought she was having an affair. He would probably tell Finn, and he would use it against her in the divorce. Rachel sighed. It was time for the truth.

"Kurt and Blaine, this is Puck. He's my divorce attorney."

Kurt gasped and put his hands over his mouth. "What?"

"I'm divorcing Finn," Rachel said gently.

"No! You can't!" Kurt cried. "Rachel, why?"

"Kurt, this isn't a good time. Can we please talk about this later and somewhere private?"

Kurt opened his mouth to object, but Blaine finally stepped in.

"Sure, Rachel. We're going to take off." Blaine took Kurt's elbow and led him out of the coffee shop.

Rachel put her head in her hands. She really hadn't wanted them to find out this way. "Well, I guess we should start preparing."

Puck nodded and opened his laptop. The rest of their meeting was purely professional.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puck, Rachel, Finn, and Jesse waited for their mediator to arrive. He held his breath when the door opened. His heart dropped as Santana ushered in Joe Hart. He knew Joe Hart was a devout Catholic and was not a fan of divorce. Puck had only heard this from his colleagues. He had never personally worked with Joe. He crossed his fingers and hoped that Joe wouldn't let his personal views affect his objectivity.

Joe sat down at the head of the table. He smiled. "Hello. I'm Joe Hart. I'll be mediating this proceeding. If there are no questions, we'll get started. Now, which party is filing for the divorce?"

Rachel raised her hand. "I am."

"I'm Noah Puckerman, but please call me Puck. I'll be representing Mrs. Hudson."

Joe nodded. "Great. We'll hear your side first. Why do you want this divorce, Mrs. Hudson?"

Rachel looked at Puck. He gave her an encouraging nod. "Well," Rachel began. "Because of Finn's football schedule, he is never home. I feel like a single mother. We have two sons, and they never get to see their father. They look up to him and really need a father influence in their life. Finn's absence threatens the stability that young kids need. Earlier this year, Finn and I agreed that this would be his last season of football. However, he only said this because he thought his contract wasn't going to be renewed. When he found out that the Giants were renewing his contract, he signed it. He chose football over his family. I don't want my boys to grow up thinking that it's okay for family to come second."

Joe nodded. "Mrs. Hudson, you think it would provide more stability for the boys if you and your husband were divorced?"

"Absolutely," Rachel replied confidently. "I could provide the boys a more stable schedule that doesn't have to be affected by Finn's absences. They would know exactly when they would be spending time with their father and wouldn't have to deal with the disappointment when Finn decides to extend his trips."

Puck smiled at Rachel and mouthed "Good." She had done well. Joe's question was meant to rattle her, but she handled it well without getting unnerved.

Joe nodded. "Okay. Now let's hear Mr. Hudson's side."

Finn ran his hand through his hair and began. "I love my family more than anything. My sons and my wife mean the world to me. I'm renewing my contract for my family. I want to leave a legacy my sons can be proud of. I've tried to compromise with Rachel. I told her that I would let the second-string quarterback play in more of the away games. I'm confident we can make this work. It's not time to give up."

Rachel looked at Puck and jotted him a note.

_There is no way that those are Finn's own words. Jesse had to have written them for him._

Puck was thinking the same thing. Damn St. James. Finn's argument was pretty good, and Puck knew from his few interactions with Finn that he couldn't have come up with his statement on his own. The statement was obviously crap. He could only hope Joe realized that, too. Puck jotted back a note to Rachel.

_Yeah, I agree. Hopefully Joe will notice how fake Finn sounds. He's full of crap (:_

He grinned as Rachel tried to suppress a chuckle.

Joe cleared his throat. "Mr. Puckerman, what are Rachel's demands in the divorce?"

Puck sat up straighter. "Mrs. Hudson will be asking for primary custody of their children, their New York apartment, and half of their money."

Joe nodded. "Any prenuptial agreements?"

Puck shook his head. "None."

"Okay," Joe said. "Mr. St. James, what is your client's opinion on those demands?"

Jesse tapped his fingers against the table before he began. "First off, Mr. Hudson objects to the divorce. In the case that the divorce is still granted, he objects to Mrs. Hudson having primary custody of their sons. Mr. Hudson is a good father who loves his sons. He is perfectly capable of taking care of them, and there is no reason he shouldn't have split custody."

Joe turned to Rachel. "Why do you object to splitting custody with your husband?"

Rachel pursed her lips. "Finn has to travel often for football. It would be very hard on the boys to travel so often. They need to have a primary residence instead of spending half of their lives in hotels. They also can't miss school to travel with Finn. Stability is so important at the boys' age."

"Mr. Hudson, what is your reply to this?" Joe asked.

Finn furrowed his brow. He didn't have a good solution to those issues. "Well, I can't do anything about the hotels, but I can get the boys a private tutor. They would still get what they need."

Joe looked at some notes he had taken and took a deep breath. "After considering both sides, I have decided that I think Mr. and Mrs. Hudson should work on their marriage more before divorcing. While Mrs. Hudson makes valid points, I think she and Mr. Hudson could resolve their problems with some more effort. I'm recommending that Mr. and Mrs. Hudson attend private couple's counseling for six weeks. After those six weeks, we can revisit this case. Thank you for your cooperation."

Puck's mouth dropped as Joe gathered his things. His eyes followed Joe as he left the room.

Finn slapped Jesse on the back and turned to look at Rachel. "Well, there we go."

Rachel glared at him. "Finn, just because we have to go to therapy first doesn't mean we aren't going to get divorced. I highly doubt the therapy is going to change my mind."

Finn shrugged as he and Jesse stood up. "We'll see in six weeks."

Rachel's eyes shot daggers at Finn and Jesse as they left the room. She turned to Puck. "Is Joe really allowed to do that?"

Puck nodded. "I'm afraid so. I know he's a die-hard Catholic and let his personal beliefs get in the way of his objectivity, though."

"Is there something we can do?"

Puck ran his hand through his mohawk. "I can make an appeal to a judge. It might take a few weeks to get on the docket because divorce cases are low priority. In the meantime, you should probably begin therapy."

Rachel sighed. "Do you have any recommendations?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah, I actually do. Santana's girlfriend." He handed Rachel a business card.

Rachel looked at the card. _Brittany Pierce_. _Couple's therapist_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

**AN: Next up, therapy with Brittany! Get excited! Please review! Your feedback means a lot to me and encourages me to write long chapters like this one!**


End file.
